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    Home » All Recipes » Vegan Cakes + Cupcakes

    Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes & Blueberry Frosting

    Published: Apr 24, 2019 · Modified: Aug 28, 2021 by Megan · This post may contain affiliate links.

    9.4K shares
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    Vegan earl grey cupcakes topped with blueberry and lemon frosting and fresh blueberries on top
    cupcakes with text "vegan earl grey cupcakes with blueberry frosting!".

    Are you ready for your new favorite vegan cupcake recipe? Baking these Vegan Earl Grey cupcakes with bergamot pairs perfectly with this rich vegan blueberry frosting for the best eggless cupcake recipe!

    Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes with Blueberry Lemon Frosting

    How to make earl grey cupcakes

    Since there is actually only ¼ cup of Earl Grey tea in this recipe, the key is to make sure it is really strongly steeped. For this recipe, I used Tea Pigs Earl Grey Strong but any Earl Grey tea should do. Definitely just make sure you steep your tea for 5-10 minutes to make it super strong!

    What flavors pair well with earl grey?

    The main inspiration behind these cupcakes came from a desire to start baking with Earl Grey. The first recipe that really inspired me to do this was these amazing Brown Butter Earl Grey Chocolate Chip  Cookie Bars from my friend Joanne at Olive & Mango.

    I love how Earl Grey can compliment so many different flavors from bold chocolates to tart lemons. I knew I just had to make earl grey the star of my next cupcake recipe...with the help of some vanilla of course!

    P.S- Since making these cupcakes, I've even made some fabulous Vegan Earl Grey Sugar Cookies!

    Three Earl Grey Cupcakes Topped with Swirls of Blueberry Lemon Frosting and Fresh Blueberries beside a cup of earl grey lemon tea

    After making the cupcakes, the next step was figuring out what flavor frosting to mix with Earl Grey.

    Earl Grey is traditionally made with bergamot which gives it a citrus taste.  I had a lot of flavor ideas, but ultimately polled all of you following on Instagram and the overwhelming opinion was to go with blueberry! So you know that's just what I did.

    What flour works best for these earl grey cupcakes?

    For these cupcakes, I used pastry flour because it makes these cupcakes really light and fluffy. If you're not familiar with pastry flour, essentially it just contains less protein than all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour can be subbed 1:1 in this recipe, but the cupcakes will not be as tender and light.

    To make pastry/cake flour at home measure out 1 cup (125 grams) of all-purpose flour. Then, remove 2 Tbsp of flour (16 grams) and replace it with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch. It's really that easy!

    A Tray of Earl Grey Cupcakes Topped with Swirls of Blueberry Lemon Frosting and Fresh Blueberries

    Vegan blueberry frosting

    To make these earl grey cupcakes even better, I topped them with the best homemade blueberry lemon frosting!

    This frosting is made with 5 easy ingredients including cold vegan butter, vegan shortening, powdered sugar, fresh blueberries, and optional coconut cream.

    To make the frosting first whip together the cold vegan butter and shortening until smooth. If you don't have shortening on hand, vegan butter can be subbed 1:1, just expect a more dense frosting. Then, add in the optional coconut cream and whip until fluffy.

    After that, slowly add in the sifted powdered sugar until you have a thick and smooth frosting. Then, the last step is to add in the fresh blueberries and optional lemon zest!

    This blueberry frosting really compliments the bergamot flavor from the earl grey cupcakes!

    A Vegan Earl Grey Cupcake Topped with Swirls of Blueberry Lemon Frosting and Fresh Blueberries

    These Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes with Vegan Blueberry Frosting are truly the perfect cupcakes to WOW guests at any event. Enjoy these mini earl grey cakes!

    -TSG

    More vegan cake & cupcake recipes you will love:

    • funfetti cupcakes topped with vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles
      Vegan Funfetti Cupcakes
    • carrot walnut cake with frosting, carrot, and walnut on top
      Vegan Carrot Walnut Cake with Cashew Frosting
    • red velvet cupcake in open cupcake liner with cream cheese frosting and sprinkles
      Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
    • chocolate bundt cake with chocolate ganache and dried rose petals on a plate
      Vegan Chocolate Bundt Cake

    If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!

    a board of cupcakes with fresh blueberry frosting and earl grey tea

    Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes

    Absolutely delicious, fluffy, and moist Vegan Earl Grey Cupcakes topped with a homemade blueberry lemon frosting. These dairy-free homemade cupcakes are the best vegan dessert!
    4.80 from 25 votes
    Print Pin
    Course: Vegan Cakes + Cupcakes
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 28 minutes
    Total Time: 43 minutes
    Servings: 8 cupcakes
    Author: Megan Horowitch

    Ingredients 
    US Customary - Metric

    Earl Grey Cupcakes

    • ¼ cup plant based milk I prefer almond, but any works
    • ½ Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    • ¼ cup earl grey tea strongly steeped
    • ⅓ cup+ 2 Tablespoons organic sugar
    • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
    • 1 cup pastry flour or cake flour
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Blueberry Lemon Frosting

    • ½ cup cold vegan butter
    • ⅓ cup vegan shortening palm oil- can be subbed 1:1 for more vegan butter
    • 1 Tablespoon cold coconut cream optional, but makes frosting fluffy
    • ½ cup fresh blueberries
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
    • 1- 1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar

    Instructions

    Earl Grey Cupcakes

    • Preheat your oven to 350F and place paper baking liners into a muffin pan. Set aside for later.
    • Start by adding your plant milk and apple cider vinegar to a large mixing bowl. Stir and let sit about 5 minutes until milk curdles and forms a "buttermilk".
    • Next, add in the earl grey tea, sugar, vanilla bean paste/extract, and oil to the mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
    • In a separate mixing bowl sift together your pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the mixing bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
    • Add the batter to your lined muffin pan so that each liner is about ¾ full. Bake the cupcakes for 25-28 muffins until cooked through. Remove from the oven and let cool before frosting.

    Blueberry Lemon Frosting

    • Add your fresh blueberries and lemon zest to a blender and blend for about 1 minute. Set aside to use in the frosting.
    • Next, add the vegan butter and shortening to a mixing bowl and whip until creamed together. Once creamed, add in your coconut cream and whip about 30 more seconds to combine. Once combined, slowly whip in your sifted powdered sugar until no clumps remain. Finally, add in the blended blueberry and lemon and whip about 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed into the frosting.
    • Add the frosting to a piping bag and evenly pipe onto the cooled cupcakes. If the frosting is too soft, add the filled piping bag full of frosting back to the fridge for 10-15 minutes to help the frosting firm up before piping it. Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Cupcakes are best enjoyed in 2-3 days, but they will store in the freezer for up to 1 month. I don't recommend storing in the fridge as this will dry them out.
    • It's also best to make the frosting the day you want to eat the cupcakes, but cupcakes can be stored in the freezer frosted as well. Simply let them defrost to room temperature on the day you are ready to eat them
    • To make pastry/cake flour at home measure out 1 cup (125 grams) of all-purpose flour. Then, remove 2 Tbsp of flour (16 grams) and replace it with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupcake with frosting | Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 3g | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @shortgirltallorder or tag #sgtoeats!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Birdie says

      October 21, 2022 at 6:19 pm

      4 stars
      I make these the second time and they smell even more delicious than the first time! My only problem is the butter cream. I only used vegan butter, blueberries and citrus like described but it curdles every time.. Internet says it's because the butter is too cold but you commented here that it has to be cold, so I am torn what to do with it, if anyone has an idea, would be glad 🙂

      Reply
      • Megan says

        October 21, 2022 at 6:24 pm

        So happy the cupcakes are working well! I definitely recommend cold vegan butter as it whips up best. I wonder if it's the brand you're using- Can you let me know what it is? There are three options you could try instead. One: You could cook the blueberries down before adding them with a little sugar into more of a jam as this will make them easier to whip. You could also just buy blueberry jam and use that. Two: Blend dried blueberries and use this as a powder instead. Three: Use warm butter and whip it with the blueberries, then refrigerate and whip it while cold. I've never personally had it curdle when using cold vegan butter and fresh blueberries, but hope this gives you enough options to try!

        Reply
    2. Vincas says

      January 31, 2022 at 5:34 am

      Thanks for your amazing recipe!

      Reply
      • Megan says

        January 31, 2022 at 4:47 pm

        You're welcome!

        Reply
    3. samantha says

      June 16, 2021 at 5:37 am

      My frosting separated unfortunately when I added the blueberries. i've never had any luck with vegan frosting, doh....

      Reply
      • Megan says

        June 16, 2021 at 12:54 pm

        Sorry to hear that! You can try a few things- decreasing the amount of blueberries you add, using dried blueberries instead, or adding more powdered sugar to save the frosting. It could be that the vegan butter you used was too warm too as you want to use really cold butter. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    4. Jennifer says

      May 10, 2021 at 5:44 pm

      These sound sooooo good!! I live in Denver (altitude 5280 ft). Do I need to adjust the recipe for that altitude? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Megan says

        May 11, 2021 at 4:06 am

        Thank you! Unfortunately, I really don't have any knowledge on high altitude baking, but if you try it let me know.

        Reply
    5. cara says

      April 23, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      I am wanting to try these cupcakes out and am wondering if you think frozen blueberries would be an acceptable sub? Would I need to tweak the frosting recipe to accommodate for the extra moisture? -Thank you

      Reply
      • Megan says

        April 23, 2021 at 8:30 pm

        I've never tried the frosting with frozen blueberries, but if you do I would recommend defrosting first and then pressing out any excess liquid/moisture before adding them to the frosting. Let me know if you try!

        Reply
    6. Maria says

      April 05, 2020 at 2:02 pm

      Do you think this would work as a bundt cake? If so, how would the baking time differ? Thanks!

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        April 05, 2020 at 5:28 pm

        Hi Maria! I have not tried this recipe with a bundt cake so I'm not sure. However, if I had to guess I'd bet it would work in a smaller bundt pan or in a larger bundt pan if you double the recipe. I would check the cake between 30-40 minutes depending on the size. If you do make it this way I'd love to hear how it goes!

        Reply
    7. Joanna says

      March 25, 2020 at 3:49 am

      This recipe is EXCELLENT! I doubled it and everything came out perfect. Such great flavors. Thank you!

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        March 25, 2020 at 3:22 pm

        Amazing! So happy to hear that! If you have a chance to leave a star rating I would appreciate it as it helps others find this recipe 🙂

        Reply
    8. Carly says

      March 25, 2020 at 1:46 am

      Thanks for this! Hard to find good DF baking recipes. I didn’t have earl grey so I used chai and added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Came out great!

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        March 25, 2020 at 3:18 am

        Chai sounds SO good! I'm glad it worked with this recipe :).

        Reply
    9. ShortGirlTallOrder says

      March 24, 2020 at 3:05 am

      Thank you for the feedback Ranna! I know the frosting is SO addicting- enjoy :).

      Reply
    10. Ranna says

      March 24, 2020 at 1:32 am

      5 stars
      These Cupcakes are amazing! My family loves them and were surprised when I said they were vegan because they never really had desserts be fully vegan. Either way the frosting was so good, they are eating it on its own and will definitely be making more!

      Reply
    11. ShortGirlTallOrder says

      March 22, 2020 at 8:46 pm

      Yes vegan frosting can get soft pretty fast! So glad you liked them 🙂

      Reply
    12. Jacob says

      March 22, 2020 at 8:44 pm

      5 stars
      These were so good! The frosting definitely needs to be refrigerated before frosting (it got too soft to pipe right after making) but otherwise delicious.

      Reply
    13. Phillip George says

      March 21, 2020 at 9:02 pm

      Can you use all-purpose flour instead of cake/pastry flour?

      Reply
      • ShortGirlTallOrder says

        March 21, 2020 at 9:38 pm

        Yes, though it won't be quite as light and fluffy. If you have cornstarch at home you can also make pastry flour by removing 2 Tbsp of flour from every cup of all-purpose flour and replacing it with cornstarch for a homemade pastry flour. Hope you enjoy the cupcakes!

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Megan! I believe eating plant-based food can be enjoyable for everyone. Eating plants doesn't have to be hard and it certainly shouldn't be boring. I am here to help you on your journey to eating food you actually feel good about and to make cooking at home fun again! 

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